Our Team
Now you’ve read about our founder, Marita Tilley read on below to find out about the team behind the THCKCS groups!
Jane Lister
I live in the UK and a few years ago I sadly lost my beloved cavalier named Charlie.
I purchased my first Cavalier in 1982 and was immediately in love with the breed and by 1985 owned four and used to show as well as judging a few shows but not at Championship level.
Marita captured me when I retired from four years running the first Bravecto group DBKD’s with 3/4 others. In this group, I learned of the dangers to our pets of using these neurotoxins and the heartache that can result.
Over the last 8/10 years, I have learned more and more about how important holistic care is and the importance of feeding healthy diets and limiting the use of chemical flea, tick and worm chemicals as much as possible.
It has been great seeing the transformation in some of our member’s dogs when they implement the advice of the holistic vets that we regularly share.
I have learned so much over the last 39 years and I can’t believe the ingredients in the dog food that I used to feed my dogs thinking it was good!
I never did over-vaccinate, seldom giving any after their one-year booster, but diet and checking up very carefully before ever giving my dog any prescription medication has definitely changed in more recent years.
We have a great team of admins and moderators that cover most time zones so hopefully advice is readily available.
Jen Prescott
I currently live near Traverse City, Michigan.
Share my life with my husband Gary and 1 Tri Cavalier (Bentley, who is 9 years old—-hard to believe!) Our previous dogs have all been Golden Retrievers and 1 Blenheim Cavalier.
Bentley is a show dog- a Grand Champion Gold who received an Award of Merit at Westminster. Riley was a beautiful Blenheim boy who just enjoyed hanging out at home. We lost him two years ago. He was diagnosed with idiopathic epilepsy. So we did all we could to manage that both naturally and with pharmaceuticals.
I’m an Admin in all our groups although I spend the bulk of my time on Pawsome Cavaliers. The beautiful pictures of our dogs bring joy to my life.
I go back to the beginning of the groups! We started these groups as we had an idea about running our groups differently. And to make people feel welcome!
I’ve learned so much over the years but predominately about food and vaccinations. I now home cook rather than feed kibble as I used to do. And I titer test. And for Riley with his epilepsy, this was very important. I knew I needed to advocate for him and I did even as he crossed The Bridge.
Cavaliers bring much love and joy to our lives. And the friends I’ve made along the way have been wonderful!
Sheree Andrews
I've been keeping cavaliers and other breeds which include Old English Mastiff, Labradors, Jack Russell and a few rescued mixed breeds for about 50 years.
I started raw feeding about 30 years ago when I had a rescue Cavalier that was itching constantly, often had D. and showed many signs of allergies. After a trip to the zoo, I had a lightbulb moment when I thought that zookeepers fed each different species an appropriate diet. There was no internet and very little at the library so I started reading more on what wild dogs, coyotes, wolves etc. would eat in the wild. I'm not sure in the beginning the meals were balanced, but with experiments and time, I found this particular dog was doing much better. At the time we were recommended Pedigree Chum and Dried Biscuits (kibble). I haven't fed either since.
I am owner to Tilly who is a B&T she has been raw fed since we have had her at 8 weeks old and now is almost 10, very healthy with no health issues. We recently rescued a cavalier mix, Buttons to our family who came to us with severe intolerances and hot spots. She was extremely anxious and nervous of other people but though love and perseverance we are working towards Buttons’ new and improved lifestyle, one day at a time.
Having followed the growth of the Healthy Cavalier King Charles Spaniel group I volunteered to help Marita, which was over 7 years ago and I am proud to be part of her team. It didn't take long before we had more and more members asking about raw feeding, we started a Messaging Group called Raw Buddies, when it got to 17 we realised we needed a raw feeding group as messages were being missed and it was difficult to keep up Raw Fed Healthy Cavs was formed.
I've learned and keep learning from the team Marita has built, this is an amazing group and as I said I am proud to be part of it
Lynn Ruona
I live in Michigan with my husband and I am owned by two cavaliers. Kira is 5 yrs old and Kylie 4 yrs old. I first joined the Healthy Cavalier group because my Kira has had health issues since she was a young puppy so I wanted to learn how to best support her as naturally as possible. I received a message from Marita a year ago asking if I would become a moderator in the group because I was quite active and found myself trying to help others with their own dog’s issues but I quickly said no because I did not feel I was ready.
I secretly watched and learned more and more from Jane Lister and then I came on board The knowledge I have gained from the Healthy group is endless. My girls went from being fed kibble to a fresh food diet. I’ve brought supplements into our daily routine that have been life-changing My ultimate favourite about the Healthy group is when I see a cavalier in trouble go from being ill to well after bringing more natural choices into their lives
Julie Miller
I have been the proud owner of two Cavaliers for 14 years. In the beginning, I knew nothing about raw feeding. However, a good friend of mine who was a breeder of Cavaliers and also fed raw made me sit up and take notice. After feeding kibble for 6 months and because "most people fed it" I decided to make the switch. It was the best decision I have ever made. Since then I have read a lot of articles and learnt a huge amount about not only raw feeding and its benefits, but how to do everything natural including worm and flea prevention to natural supplements. I feel this has been a contributing factor in my Cavaliers reaching the age of 14, with great hearts.
I have been a moderator on Raw Fed Healthy Cavs for almost 2 years Since then I have learnt a lot and continue to keep learning, happy to have helped so many others along the way make a change for the better. During this time I sadly have had the misfortune to lose one of my Cavaliers going through cancer not once, but twice. the second time also needing to dealing with seizures. I have done a lot of research about this subject too, including the best way to feed and the best supplements to give for dogs with cancer and seizures. And through the experience gained there I feel I have a lot to offer.
Catherine Carter-Uren
I started my journey with Marita being owned by 2 cavaliers Alexi (tri) who I had from a pup and Jess (Blenheim) who was an ex puppy farm mum and came to us at 5 1/2 years old and it was her who had me looking into more healthy options when she was diagnosed with grade 5 MVD at age 8. I truly believe what I learnt from Marita on the healthy cavalier page and subsequently from the raw fed cavalier page where I became an admin is a reason Jess made it to 14 years 5 months old before gaining her wings earlier this year.
We still have Alexi age 11 years and heart clear and now also owned by a cockerlier Maisie who again sadly is an ex breeder and 7 1/2 years old. The best thing I have learnt is natural is best and over-vaccination does so much harm to their little bodies. I love how friendly and informative all the pages are and how knowledgeable every admin/moderator is.
Diane Olson-Salmon
My life has been blessed with 14 dogs, 7 cats, 1 parakeet, and 3 horses. In making up a list of all of my animals, I noticed that the majority were rescues. The asterisks in front of the dog breed names are for the dogs we rescued. Cocker Spaniel, *Golden Retriever mix, *Cocker mix, Beagle, *Collie, *German Shepard, *Chihuahua mix, *Lhasa Apso, Shetland Sheepdog, Australian Shepherd, 1st Cavalier, 2nd Cavalier, *3rd Cavalier, and *4th Cavalier Carrie.
Before I got my first Cavalier, I had spent many hours online searching for a breed that would be gentle, and loving. I finally saw an AKC article about Cavaliers. I knew this breed would be the perfect fit. I found a little Ruby girl, and she was the very best companion dog. I couldn't believe that these little dogs were relatively unknown in our area.
I soon added two more Blenheim Cavaliers, Lass and Clair. Then came a beautiful Blenheim girl named Carrie. She was in terrible shape. On her first day, she was in heat, she was regurgitating continually, she had bloody diarrhoea, and she was anorexic. I knew what I would learn about helping her had to be shared so that she and I could help other families with their dogs.
I stumbled upon the Healthy Cavalier group, Dr Morgan, Dr Becker, Rodney Habib, Dr Dobias, and a holistic vet. Then I had my beliefs about canine issues challenged by Jane, Marita, Lynn, Martha, Jen, Sheree, and many others. When they would offer opposing research, I would dig out the information I needed. I found that I knew so little, and what I knew was wrong and outdated. What a tremendous difference new information made in my dogs' lives, and I started sharing what I had learned. I had a gut feeling for many years that kibble was causing serious health issues in our animals, and I finally felt like I was finding the information I had needed for so long.
After much research, I decided to home cook for Carrie, and I joined the Home Cooking group. With Martha's support and guidance, my poor, little, sick dog recovered, and her personality exploded. She is now a healthy, happy, energetic bundle of joy. If what I've learned can help your dogs, all of my tough lessons will have been worth it. I home cook to give this precious girl a healthy life.
Aggy Gray
My name is Aggy Gray and I’m a proud mum of 2 little humans and 1 fur child. I’m a professional ex-ballerina who holds a huge passion for a holistic way of living and educating myself on those subjects daily. My family is raw vegan and we are just simply in love with looking after our bodies in the healthiest possible way. My biggest passion after ballet is Vitarianism, Naturopathy, Herbalism, Homeopathy, Spirituality, and anything that aligns with the holistic approach to life. When it comes to dogs I’m a huge advocate of raw feeding and raising them as close to nature as possible. Healthy food, good walks, lots of love, herbal medicine if there is a need is what I believe can help them live a long, happy life on Earth. I love Energy Work and believe Reiki as many other beautiful spiritual techniques can have amazing results not only on humans but also on our pets. I strongly believe that pets come into our lives for a reason and it’s only up to us if we decide to learn the lessons they came to teach us. I hope that within the knowledge I hold I can be of help and inspiration to others, who are seeking holistic advice.
I am currently studying under Caroline Griffiths on the iPet level 3 canine nutrition course which I am excited to deep dive and learn so much about.
As a ballet teacher same as moderator of the group my motto is: “You cannot teach people, but you can simply inspire them”
Nicole Agius
I am an accredited pet first aider and canine behaviourist. I am also a well known and highly recommended Pet Nutritionist in Malta who has studied extensively how to identify the best possible balanced diet each individual dog or cat needs. I am able to recommend ways of how to prevent certain health problems occurring such as parasites and diseases and help identify common conditions, viruses and bugs that your pet may suffer from and how to fight them.
Martha Long Spencer
Prior to becoming a pet Mom I worked in advertising for a large corporation handling small business local accounts
The Summer of 2011 my youngest son was graduating high school we got our first dog ever, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy that we named Huxley. I was quickly head over heels in love with the little guy. One year later we added another Cavalier puppy to the family, another little boy that we named Pilot. I never could have known how much these tiny little creatures could enhance my life with their sweetness & love.
I was what most veterinarians would call a perfect pet mom. My boys were always up to date on their vaccinations. They were given monthly doses of flea & heart worm medication. They were fed vet recommended foods. They were both neutered at a young age. Little did I know that my diligence was actually harming them
In 2016 my beautiful Huxley was given a steroid injection that caused his pancreas to shut down insulin production. He became diabetic overnight. He went into keto acidosis and was hospitalized in critical condition. Five days later my little fighter was brought home on a daily dose of 2 insulin shots & special “prescription” food. Sadly Huxley didn’t respond well to treatment and became more & more ill over time. He was insulin resistant. I began taking him to specialists and different veterinarians. I joined online canine diabetic support groups. I tried everything that I knew to try and Huxley just became sicker
About a year into Huxley becoming diabetic I found
“The Healthy Cavalier King Charles Spaniel” Facebook group, it changed my life as far as my care of my four legged family members.
I started making homemade food for my two dogs, Huxley & Pilot. I stopped all chemical flea & heart worm products. I stopped automatically vaccinating my dogs and learned about titer testing. I started following several holistic veterinarians. The Healthy Cavalier group was where I spent most of my time on Facebook. It was so refreshing to have what my common sense had been telling me all along supported. Not only were the administrators on this group extremely knowledgeable, but they frequently posted articles and research from the veterinary world to support their views. I learned so much and felt so grateful to be a part of The Healthy Cavaliers group
I was honored when Marita Tilley asked me to join the admin team. It felt like an opportunity to give something back. To try and impart some of the knowledge that was shared with me to others. To hopefully help pet parents learn healthier protocols for their beloved dogs.
Sadly in November of 2018 we lost our precious Huxley, he was only 7 years old. Although I honestly believed that I was doing what was best for my dogs by following traditional veterinary protocol to a T, I’ve never overcome my regret of allowing what I now know were harmful practices, foods & medications to be given to this beautiful little soul. He’s the reason that I passionately strive to help other pet parents so that they won’t suffer the same regret and sorrow
Although I wasn’t looking to get another dog, only 2 months after we lost our Hux, in January of 2019 the universe brought me my little Elliot, a six month old Tri color, male, Cavalier. He had been living outside in a crate in the Winter at an Amish puppy farm. Marita Tilley became aware of him through another member of the groups. Something told her to ask me about giving him a home. Although I didn’t think I was ready for another puppy/dog, we decided to give Elliot a home. He’s been an absolute joy! His sweet little spirit was a healing salve to my broken heart
Pilot is now 9 years old. Elliot is now 3 years old. My boys are now fed a healthy, balanced, homemade diet. They’re titer tested instead of vaccinated. I now use only natural flea & tick products, Elliot has not been neutered. I strive to continue learning and to give my dogs a life that supports longevity and good health.
Dogs are such bright spots in a sometimes dark world. Their little spirits are so sweet. As guardians of these little souls I feel that we owe them the best life possible. Everyday I feel fortunate to be a part of the Healthy Cavalier groups.
Libby Halpin
Hi! I’m Libby, and I’ve proudly been a part of THCKCS since 2018, sharing my passion for canine health and unwavering love for the Cavalier breed. As the leader of The Balanced Canine (TBC), I’m also the creative force behind the group’s graphics and social media management, helping to bring Marita’s inspiring visions to life.
My journey into natural health and nutrition started after losing my rescue Westie, Poppy. Determined to do better for my next dog, I welcomed Darcy, my first Cavalier, in October 2018. Understanding the breed’s predisposition to health issues like MVD, SM, and CM, I knew I had to provide her with the best foundation from day one. When Darcy fell sick shortly after coming home, I dove deep into research, seeking out any knowledge that could help. After experimenting with various diets, I discovered raw feeding—and within days, Darcy’s health transformed. Her recovery inspired me to question conventional pet care and led me to explore natural remedies, clean supplements, and holistic wellness practices.
Today, Darcy continues to thrive on a fresh diet, enriched with variety and targeted supplements, including my favourite SBO probiotic and prebiotic. She’s remained healthy without chemical wormers or flea treatments for over four years, supported by natural parasite prevention and minimal vaccinations proven effective through titre testing.
In June 2021, Teddy, a Ruby Cavalier, joined our family, raised with the same natural, nutrient-dense approach. He’s also fed fresh, human-grade food and receives holistic care, including strategic minimal vaccination and monthly worm counts to ensure his well-being.
Our commitment to natural rearing and holistic health fuels my passion to support other pet parents, helping them create vibrant, healthy lives for their beloved dogs.
Dominique Torode
I have owned cavaliers for almost 15 years. My old seniors Berkeley (15) and Rufus (14) went to Rainbow Bridge in February. They made very old age and had a great quality of life thanks to this group. I joined tHCKCS when it was a year old. I credit Marita and the group for the longevity and quality of life the seniors had after all the holistic changes I made. The most important being the move to raw feeding and home cooked from kibble. I
Made the changes later on in their lives but it still made a difference. Marita asked me to be a moderator when the group had been going for 2 years.
I have met lots of wonderful cavaliers owners, breeders, vets and grown so much in my knowledge of the breed. I have two cavaliers Athos 2 and Aramis 5. No kibble for them.
Susie Pineapple
I am Susie and no my surname isn’t really pineapple! I had a grand plan to go unnoticed on Facebook which failed massively! I grew up in Queensland Australia but currently live in Melbourne Victoria. I am the only admin that currently does not have a pup. But some of you will know the cavalicious Jessie Olive and I am her Australian mother! My Grandmother was Olive.
My love for Cavaliers came to me through a very close friend. He introduced me to his kids and I was smitten. When they both went to the bridge within a few weeks of each other we were heartbroken.
I was extremely surprised and humbled when Marita asked me to be a moderator on Pawsome to cover daylight hours in Australia while the rest of the world sleeps.
I have made so many beautiful and funny friends on this page and I am STILL to meet any of them in person. But our day will come. Until then we will enjoy each other’s company over the Internet and learn as much as we can to keep our beautiful Cavaliers safe and healthy.
Lorren Victoria
I grew up playing in the farmlands of South Yorkshire, UK, where my passion for Mother Nature began. In 2005, I became a qualified florist, igniting my passion for foraging. This fascination eventually led me to delve into the study of the medicinal benefits of plant life. As a keen gardener, I cultivate fruits and vegetables for both my human and fur family. Being a vegetarian, I've successfully provided a home-cooked and raw diet for my three Cavaliers. As a rambler and scrambler, I've effectively trained Holly, Dasher, and Miss Ivy in recall and stamina building. All three can happily walk off-lead in fields, forests, and even the UK mountain ranges.
Over the past 4.5 years, I've delved into self-studying dog nutrition, drawing from the expertise of top pet nutritionists Drs. Karen Becker and Judy Morgan. With invaluable assistance from group admins, I've gained extensive knowledge before eventually becoming a moderator in the home cooking group.
Susie Pineapple
I am Susie and no my surname isn’t really pineapple! I had a grand plan to go unnoticed on Facebook which failed massively! I grew up in Queensland Australia but currently live in Melbourne Victoria. I am the only admin that currently does not have a pup. But some of you will know the cavalicious Jessie Olive and I am her Australian mother! My Grandmother was Olive.
My love for Cavaliers came to me through a very close friend. He introduced me to his kids and I was smitten. When they both went to the bridge within a few weeks of each other we were heartbroken.
I was extremely surprised and humbled when Marita asked me to be a moderator on Pawsome to cover daylight hours in Australia while the rest of the world sleeps.
I have made so many beautiful and funny friends on this page and I am STILL to meet any of them in person. But our day will come. Until then we will enjoy each other’s company over the Internet and learn as much as we can to keep our beautiful Cavaliers safe and healthy.